Metro Briefs

November 17, 2005

Police, parents search for missing teenager St. Joseph County Police are asking for help in finding a 17-year-old South Bend teen. Darlene Palicki, also known as "Charlie," has been missing since Nov. 5 and her parents are extremely worried, police said. She is described as a white female, 5 feet 6 inches tall and 130 pounds. She has blue eyes, black hair and a tattoo on her right hand of a star. If you have any information about her whereabouts, call (574) 235-9611 or (574) 235-9569. SOUTH BENDTickets for pep rally ready at 4 p.m. Friday Members of the general public who wish to attend the Notre Dame pep rally Friday can pick up tickets beginning at 4 p.m. Friday at Gate 10 of the Joyce Center. The pep rally tickets are free, but each person in line will be limited to two tickets. Ticket holders will be allowed to enter the Joyce Center immediately after the distribution. The pep rally will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, and the Notre Dame football team will arrive at 6:30 p.m. Friday's rally, on the eve of the ND-Syracuse game, is the last pep rally of the 2005 football season. SOUTH BENDAccident closes section of bypass Police closed a portion of the St. Joseph Valley Parkway for more than seven hours Wednesday as crews worked to clean up an overturned semi-truck and its spilled shipment of frozen foods, police said. The truck driver suffered injuries to his back and was transported to the hospital after a passing motorist helped him out of the damaged cab, South Bend police Sgt. Gene Eyster said. Strong winds caused the trailer to flip onto its side about 4 p.m. as it was traveling east near Miami Street, Eyster said. The truck then slammed up and over the guardrail and into the sound wall. No other vehicles were involved in the crash. The driver's age and name were unknown late Wednesday. Eyster said the truck belonged to a Wisconsin-based company. Westbound lanes were closed for about two hours. Fire whips through apartment house Fire swept through a west-side apartment house Wednesday night as rescue crews searched for a man believed to be trapped inside and firefighters battled swirling winds. The man escaped unharmed but the fire spread from an old converted storefront where it originated to a connecting house, Battalion Chief Robert Maciejewski said. Maciejewski suffered a cut to his hand, but no one else was injured in the fire at the building at 1820 W. Huron St. "With the strong winds we got tonight, we had our hands full," Maciejewski said. MISHAWAKAFirefighter's home has minor fire damage A small attic fire was quickly put out by Mishawaka firefighters Wednesday at 413 N. Byrkit with no personal injuries and minor damage to property, according to Division Chief Mike Hargreaves, who was at the scene. The fire started about 12:45 p.m. and was detected by homeowner Dustin Haywood, a Mishawaka firefighter. Haywood said he was on the second floor of his home when he smelled smoke. Hargreaves said the fire likely was caused by faulty wiring. Chief Greg Hunt estimated the damage to the attic at no more than $3,000.